I was thinking similar thoughts when reading the posts by the 'Door Staff' who prevented the RM entering their bar. 'Security' & Health'n'safety' are used as covers for a fairly insiduous new culture when a vast array of people (often in hi-vis vests and sometimes with virtually no training or real authority) exert considerable control over your daily life. Some might say that is a fact of living in a crowded country - but there are more crowded countries where this isn't the case. I consider it to stem from an inherent desire on the part of numerous organisations and people to exert power just because they can. It is also part of the authoritarian regime promoted by the current government - and, to be fair, encouraged by the press with their 'something must be done' cry- which involves ever-increasing surveillance. and powers being granted to police, local authorities, social workers etc. The fall out from every high profile incident is more and more rules and regulation - it is the only thing the government can turn to. Unfortunately, however well-intentioned, once rules are in place, they are rarely reviewed, but often over-zealously used.

Unfortunately, many of the sort of people who want jobs with power over others lives are just the sort of people who shouldn't have it.

But let me get on my SWP dais (Yeuch!) - my father, a genuine working class bod from the East End of teh Big Smoke and many of his generation worked bloody hard to better himself - night classes or just hard work or a combination. I think he'd be disgusted by the lack of pride of the 'working classes' today. Better off speaking of the benefit classes. True working class are probably the immigrants that come over and work all hours in corner shops etc.

The point is, we're 'better educated' - but need more rules to control us. Bit of a contradiction? Just look at the TV to see if we're better - eg that sh**e I saw some of this morning, Jeremy Kyle. I actually can't believe I'm writing about his show. Someone please tell me they're just actors and not real people!

Bit off track that, sorry - so much to say and so few that want to listen ...

It all comes under the banner of Health and Safety, Arrse covering and protecting the bloody thick (Just in case they sue you for being thick)

I've got to put so much information on the H&S board in my store that no one reads it, Info overload everywhere and its all to stop the sort of person who drinks bleach from drinking bleach, Then because of all this information, and 10 million yellow signs wherever you look, that you need the Dayglo vest brigade to point out the main hazard in the first place.

Soon H&S will learn that accidents happen and usually to the stupid, thats natural selection

Taffridge - Dont blame H&S - the reason your store (is it a big shop?) sticks too much on a notice board is specifically because they dont know how to look after H&S, and overcompensate by going to ridiculous ends, as you describe.

It comes down to your management being too concerned about litigation (often a false worry) and not knowing what they should do, this isnt the falt of H&S, its the fault of the legal profession, behind all of these stories of conkers and eye-protection is some misguided middle manager who worries too much about being sued - the HSE has specifically stated that it is not interested in all this crap, because it has nothing to do with H&S.

Taffridge - Dont blame H&S - the reason your store (is it a big shop?) sticks too much on a notice board is specifically because they dont know how to look after H&S, and overcompensate by going to ridiculous ends, as you describe.

It comes down to your management being too concerned about litigation (often a false worry) and not knowing what they should do, this isnt the falt of H&S, its the fault of the legal profession, behind all of these stories of conkers and eye-protection is some misguided middle manager who worries too much about being sued - the HSE has specifically stated that it is not interested in all this crap, because it has nothing to do with H&S.

Ratcatcher

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Fair point, but you know how much the army likes its bullsh*t, when you throw H&S into the mix it results in an explosion of yellow and black striped tape and mind your head signs. My main point is that there are so many arrse covering rules and regs that you need the Killjoy chaps in baseball hats to ensure no one can sue at any public event.

You are correct that the blame lies with the "where theres a blame theres a claim, AKA get rich through being clumsy" lawyer cnuts

First, yes I have noticed that the article is aimed mainly at the situation in Oz. But it most certainly applies to the situation here too.

There are two issues here.

One is the HSE/petty rules brigade - an example in today's news is Tower Hamlets Council banning Christmas wall and ceiling decorations from all its offices on the grounds that their staff risk injury putting them up.

The other is the insidious and creeping control imposed upon us by the state, that is being ever expanded, and all in the name of such things as the "war against terror" and "national security". For instance Parliament's attempts to ban any protest near parliament, or the ridiculous measures taken against protesters during the state visit by China the other year etc etc.

Posssibly the worst recent example was that poor old octogenarian who heckled the politburo at the Labour conference last year. He was arrested and detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. How the fcuk does anyone think that he was a terrorist? The answer is they didn't think he presented any form of terrorist threat at all. They just didn't wish to allow him to protest in his own peaceful and democratic way.

Good article. Its about time people started to tell this govt to stuff there control freak micro management of our lives (while we still can!)